7 mistakes you make when painting interior walls

Avoid these seven mistakes when painting interiors and your home will become your masterpiece.

1. You’re not using primer

We all like shortcuts, but some aren’t worth the quick detour. Primer is essential because it brings out the true color of the paint you’ve surely spent hours mulling over. Skipping primer, even when painting over light colored walls, will negatively affect your end result.

2. You don’t have patience

.After you have gone through a room and patched up any holes with a compound, be sure to give it adequate time to dry. Any patch work must be completely dry before you sand and prime.

3. You don’t use rollers

Large surfaces are best painted with a roller, not a brush. Using a roller is easier, and as a time saving measure, it is a shortcut you can take. When selecting a roller, be sure to have the right nap for your sheen of paint and don’t push your roller into the wall while you are painting; let it glide.

4. You don’t buy enough paint

Underestimating the amount of paint required to complete a room’s new look is a common mistake painters make. Avoid making numerous trips to the paint store by purchasing one gallon of paint for every 400 square feet.

5. You don’t clean your walls first

Don’t assume your walls are clean – odds are, they’re not. If you want your walls to look like they were painted by a professional, scrub your walls before you prime and paint. Paint will adhere better to a clean surface.

6. You don’t have the right brushes

Curb your desire to pick up the first or cheapest paint brush you see. If you are using a latex based paint, nylon and polyester blend brushes will yield the best results. Turns out polyester isn’t just for leisure suits.

7. You don’t remove your furniture

Do not leave your furniture in the room you intend to paint. It may seem like a no-brainer, but many people throw a drop cloth over furniture and don’t account for mishaps.
Removing paint from furniture can be tedious in better situations and ruin items in more dire cases. If you can move it, get it into another room.